yeah due to the fact nobodies hiring people right now, here in the uk i've managed to live a life of luxary without having to pay rent, £9000 a year i'm on, and that's after £10000 goes to rent for my house, £4000 covers living expenses, leaving £5000 for anything else.

it's not exactly difficult to afford decent stuff in the UK. i really don't see why people complain that things are more expensive here...

chasing the dragon refers to the pursuit of something which inevitably is a nonexistent entity. What you associate it to is your personal decision. It's a common saying. That being said, where are these families you speak of?

I splurged a fair amount on my headphone system as I'm a 35yo software dev and spend at least 4 hours listening to it every day. Certainly overkill for what is 'needed' but its helps me get into the zone, and I dare say it's already paid for itself. Most of it was bought used, which means a fair amount can be recouped.